Apparatus for cleaning and purifying used gasolene, naphtha, or the like.



e. E. OLSEN. APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND PURIFYING USED GAS OLENE,NAPHTHA, OR THE LIKE APPLICATIONiFlLED lULY 26.1915- 1,199,491.,PatenfedSept. 26,1916.-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' GEORGE E. OLSEN, OF GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T TROY LAUNDRYMACHINERY 00., LTD., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND PURIFYING USED GASOLENE, NAPHTHA, OR THELIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

Application filed July 26, 1915. Serial No. 41,843.

To all whom it may concern I Be it known that I, GEORGE E. OLSEN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Green Bay, in the county ofBrown and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful. Improvementsin Apparatus for Cleaning and Purifying Used Gasolene, Naphtha, or thelike, of which the following 1s a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for cleaning andpurifying used gasolene, naphtha or the like.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and economicallyoperated apparatus for thoroughly washing and rinsing used gasolene ornaphtha with a clean, fresh liquid preferably water, after which saidgasolene is concentrated in suitable compartments and separated from thecleansing liquid.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic shut ofivalvewhich will remain open during the removal of the cleaned liquid, butwhich will be closed by the approach of the cleansing liquid thereto,thereby preventing any of the water or dirt, which has previously beenremoved from the gasolene or naphtha, from mixing with the purifiedliquid.

The invention consists in the combination.

and arrangement. of parts set forth in the following specification andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly insection, of an apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is asectional-view of the automatic shutoff valve.- Fig. 3 is a plan view ofone of the receivers illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig; 4 is a detail sectionalview'of the compartment at v the upper end of one of the receiversillustrating a modified form of automatic shut off valve.-

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of thedrawings.

. In the drawings, 5 and 6 represent two receivers ori tanks which arepreferably practically of the same construction, the tank or receiver 5constituting a washer for used gasolene or naphtha whichis supplied fromthe washing of gasolene or naphtha in ac-.

cordance with my invention. It is however perfectly obvious that othersmay be added to -the series or one receiver may be employed withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. Each of thereceivers 5 and 6 is preferably provided with agitators 7, 7 consistingof a rotary vertical shaft- 8 ournaled to rotate in bearings 9 and 10 inthe bottom and top sections of the receiver. A series of blades 11,preferably inclined, are secured to the shafts 8. The agitators 7 arepreferably arranged at right angles to each other in order that they maynot occupy too much of the space within the receiver 5 and to morethoroughly agitate the liquid contained within said receiver.

The two shafts .8, 8 are arranged to be rotated simultaneously bymechanism suitably arranged preferably at the top of the receiver 5,said mechanism preferably con sisting of a shaft 12 having gears 13, 13fast thereon adapted to engage pinions 14:, 14 secured respectively tothe shafts 8. A driving pulley 15 is secured to the shaft 12. Thereceivers 5 and 6 are adapted to contain a cleansing liquid which ispreferably water and the liquid to be cleaned, such as gasolene,

naphtha or other kinds of oil.

To supply the water to thereceiver 5 a water supply pipe 16 has beenprovided which preferably enters the bottom of said receiver andterminates in a curved pipe 17 the discharge end thereof being directedto- Ward the bottom of said receiver and in close proximity thereto. Anoil supply medium 18 is provided for the receiver 5 preferablyconnecting said receiver adjacent to the hlghest point in said receiver.

v The receiver 5 further embodies in its construction a compartment 19which is diswise connected with said concentrating compartment adjacentto the top thereof. A water or cleansing liquid discharge pipe 21- isconnected preferably at the bottom' of said receiver and extendsupwardly along the outside of the receiver 5Qto the normal water levelofsaid receiver, said pipe being provided with a valve 22-whereby the samemay be closed. A drain'cock 23 is arranged in the pipe 21 below thebottom connection of said pipe with said receiver whereby all of thewater within said receiver may be withdrawn when desired. A safety valve'24 is provided for the receiver 5,'said valve being preferably attachedto the water supply pipe 16 at a point near the lower end of saldreceiver. An air relief valve 25 is inserted at the top of theconcentrating compartment 19 for the purpose of permitting the air inthe receiver and the compartment to escape during the filling andejecting of the oil therefrom.

The receiver 6 receives its supply of water and discharges the watertherefrom in the same manner as does the receiver 5, but the oil isdelivered to said receiver 6 through the discharge pipe 20 connectedwith the concentrating compartment 19 of the receiver 5 and anothersection of pipe 26.

The pipe 26 is connected to the upper end of a concentrating compartment27 surmounting the receiver 6 as does the compartment 19 surmount thereceiver 5. An oil discharge pipe 28 is provided for the receiver 6similar to the discharge pipe 20 of the receiver 5'v and connected inthe same manner therewith.

Each of the receivers 5 and 6 is provided with an automatic shut ofi'valve 29, said shut off valve being preferably arranged in said oildischarge pipes 20 and 29 respectively. A detail view of the automaticvalve is illustrated in Fig. 2. The preferred'arrangement or dispositionof said shut off Valve is within a casing or trap 30 havingtransparentside walls 31, the upper and lower ends of said casing being closed. The

discharge pipe 20 from theTconcentra-ting compartment 19 or thedischarge pipe 28 from the concentrating compartment 27 enters the trap30 at 32. An extension 33 extends from said connecting point 32 to apoint .in close proximity to the bottom of said trap and directed'towardsaid bottom.

A discharge orifice 34 is provided adjacent to the top of said trap 30through which the 'oil is discharged to its proper destination, that isto say, either to the rinsing receiver or tank 6 throu h the pipe 26 or.to a suit- .able storage tank. The discharge .of oil through thedischarge orifice 34 will continue until substantially all of the oil inthe trap has been removed after which said valve is automaticallyclosed.

\Vithin the trap 30 adjacent to the discharge orifice; 34 is a hollowseat 35 constructed and arranged to be engaged and closed by afloat 36,-said float being confined within a suitable cage 37 whereby a limitedverticalmovement. of said float will be permitted. The float 36 isheavier than oil, but lighter than water, the weight of said float beinadjusted by reducing or increasing the num er of weights 38 attached toa screwthreaded stem 39, which stem is suspended from said float 36.,Said hollow seat 35 and float 36 cooperateto form the valve 29. A

discharge valve 40 is arranged at the top of the'trap 30 andv anotherdischarge valve 41 is provided at the bottom of said trap. A series ofglass gages 42 are arranged at the side of both of the receivers 5 and 6whichextend from a point below the normal water level indicated at Asubstantially to the top of the concentrating compartments 19 and 27.

The operation of the ap aratus hereinbefore specifically describe is asfollows: Water or other suitable cleansing liquid is admitted throughthe pipe 16 to the tanks or receivers 5 and 6 to the level indicated atA, or until said water begins to overflow through the pipes 21,providing thevalves 22 in said pipes 21 are open or if not the level Amay be determined through the glass gages/12. The water supply .is thenshut off by means of the valve 43. The liquid or oil to be cleansed isthen admitted to the receiver 5 through the oil supplying medium 18 to alevel indicated by the line B, the oil occupying the space between theline indicated at A and said line B as it is lighter than the water.Theagitators 7 are now set into operation to agitate the water and oilwithin said tank or receiver 5 for the desiredlength of time duringwhich perioda greater portion of the dirt will be removed from said oil.The agitators are then stopped permitting the dirt to settle in saidreceiver 5. Some of this dirt Wlll be precipitated to the bottom of saidreceiver where it may later be withdrawnthrough but remains at thesurface of be determined or observed which is considerably heavier Afterthe dirt h'as hadtime to.

gages 42, the water sup-' ply valve 43 for the receiver 5 willagain beopened while the valves 22 for said receiver tanker receiver 6. Thefloat 36 in the trap 'is lighter than the oil and permits said oil topass uninterruptedly through said trap. This movement continues untilall of the oil has been discharged from the receiver 5 or until thesurface of the water reaches the float 36 and moves the same upwardlyagainst the seat. 35, thereby automatically closing thedischarge valve29 and reventing any of the water in'the receiver 5 from beingdischarged into the receiver 6. The valve 40 in the trap 30 is nextopened permitting the discharge of all of the water which contains anyof the grease, dirt or fatty matter. The valves 41 and 23 are at thistime opened and all dirt which has been precipitated to the bottom ofthe receiver 5 or trap 30 may then be removed and when all traces ofdirt and grease have been removed from the water in the receiver 5, theValves 40, 41 and 43 are then closed while the valve 22 for the re--ceiver 5 is opened and all superfluous waterv in said receiver permittedto escape until said water has returned -to its normal level, asindicated at A. Substantially all of the dirt, grease or fatty matterwill be removed in the first receiver 5, but should any get by the valve29 in the trap 30 the same operation is performed in the receiver 6-ashas just been described, after which the purified oil is discharged to asuitable receiving tank 1n readiness to be used over again and with Ypractically no reduction in the quantity thereof from that with which itstarted, owing to the fact that the apparatus throughout is entirelyclosed to prevent any evaporation or waste'of said oil. By reason of thereduced diameter of the compartment 19 with respect to its receiver andlikewise the compartment 27 the area of the liquid w1ll be greatlyreduced with the result that all but a very small amount of the gasolenewill be withdrawn before the valve 29 is closed by the rising water.

When the oil first starts to rise, due to the admittance of Water intothe receiver the air at the top of said oil will be permitted to escapethrough the air relief valve 25 at the top of the compartment 19, asimilar valve being provided for the compartment 27.-

The safety valve 24 is provided to. permit the water to'discha-rge fromthe pipe 16 in case the valve 29 is suddenly closed and none oftheoutlet and discharge valves for the water'have been opened.

Referring to Fig. 4, 44 represents a compartment similar ,to ithecompartment] 19 which may, if desired, constitute a trap similar to thetrap illustrated. in ';Fig.' 2. The

upper end of said compartment 44 preferably has an opening 45 over whichis placed i securing means such as bolts 47 Mounted i in said cover is acage 48 similar to the. cag I a cover, 46 and secured thereon bysuitable 37 illustrated in Fig. 2, said cage being perforated to permitoil to pass therethrough to 1 a discharge pipe 49 connected to the cover46. A float 50 similar to the float 36 which is capable of being liftedby water,'but not by oil is arranged in said cage to cooperate with avalve seat 51 formed at the upper end of said cage and similar to thevalve seat 35.

. The float 50 and valve seat 51 constitute an automatic shut off valvesimilar to the one shown in Fig. 2 and capable of being oper-' ated inthe same manner. A discharge pipe 52 extends upwardly from the cover 46.and

serves as a means whereby dirt, sediment and water may be dischargedfrom the compartment 44 and serves in the same capacity with the pipecontaining the discharge valve 40 illustrated in Fig. 2. A relief valve53 is placed at a distance above the cover 46 of the discharge pipe 52and takes the'.place of the relief valve 25, as shown in Fig. 1. An oilsupply pipe 54, equivalent to the oil supply pipe 18 is connected withthe compartment 44 at the upper end thereof.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire by LettersPatent to secure is: I

1. An apparatus of the class described having in combination, areceiver, a supplying medium for liquid to be cleaned,

- means constructed and arranged to agitate I the liquid in saidreceiver, means for supplying cleansing liquid to said receiver to ejectthe cleansed liquid therefrom, a discharge pipe for said cleansedliquid, an automatic shut ofl valve for said discharge pipe, and asafety valve constructed and arranged to re lieve the pressure in saidreceiver when said shut off valve is closed.

2. An apparatus of the class described having, in combination, a tankadapted to contain a cleansing liquid and a liquid to be cleaned ofsubstantially less weight than said cleansing liquid, meansfor supplyingcleansing liquid to said tank to discharge the cleaned liquid therefrom,a discharge pipe for said cleansed liquid connected with said tankadjacent to the top thereof, a trap connected with said discharge pipeconstructed of transparent material, a pipe extending from said tanksubstantially to the bottom of said trap, a valve arranged in said trapvalve, means constructed and arranged to my hand in presence of twosubscribing vary the welght of said float, and a valve wltnesses.

arranged adjacent the top of said trap GEORGE E. OLSEN. adapted to beopened to discharge dirt and \Vitnesses: 5 sediment from said trap.BERNARD OLSEN,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set CHARLES LAUK.

